Glossary

Virtual Realia

Digitized objects and items from the target culture which are brought into the classroom as examples or aids and used to stimulate spoken or written language production.

Language Realia

Realia is a term used in education to refer to certain real-life objects. In education, realia are objects from real life used in classroom instruction.
In education, realia include objects used by educators to help students to understand better other cultures and real life situations. A teacher of a foreign language often employs realia to strengthen students' associations between words for everyday objects and the objects themselves.
In foreign language instruction, the term realia has a broader meaning, which includes photos of objects from a country where the target language is spoken.
Wikipedia

Archive for the ‘Audio/Music/Radio’ Category

BBC Arabic (Learning English) has a dedicated bilingual radio programme aimed at teaching English to native Arab speakers. As an Arabic learner yourself, you may benefit hugely from listening to this interactive programme where the host (an Arabic speaker) interviews a guest (an English speaker) in English about a particular news item. The interview is then interpreted in Arabic immediately by the host.

Today Doug and Rasha are talking about class sizes.
Here in Britain state schools have a class size of 30 students. But is that too many?
Many teachers say that it is, but not everyone agrees. In some schools with large classses the teacher is helped by a classroom assistant. In this way individual students get more attention.
We asked people what they thought the ideal class size is.
Here are some of their comments:
– I don’t think one person can look after 30 children properly and give them the right amount of attention.
– I think class sizes should be smaller, probably about 15 students.
– I would say that 30 is too big.

BBC Arabic (Learning English) has a dedicated bilingual radio programme aimed at teaching English to native Arab speakers. As an Arabic learner yourself, you may benefit hugely from listening to this interactive programme where the host (an Arabic speaker) interviews a guest (an English speaker) in English about a particular news item. The interview is then interpreted in Arabic immediately by the host.

In this podcast,Somaya and Doug are talking about making a fresh start.

An Australian man is putting his whole life up for sale on eBay.Normally on eBay people sell small things such as clothes or books.Ian Usher is selling his three bedroomed-house, his car and his job.His friends are also included in the sale.His marriage has just ended and he wants to escape from painful memories. He wants to make a clean break.So how much can he hope to make from selling his life? Bidding starts at $Aus1, but he hopes his life is worth around $Aus 500,000.When it’s sold, he wants to walk away with the money in one pocket and his passport in the other. He’s going to jump on the first plane to anywhere.

BBC Arabic (Learning English) has a dedicated bilingual radio programme aimed at teaching English to native Arab speakers. As an Arabic learner yourself, you may benefit hugely from listening to this interactive programme where the host (an Arabic speaker) interviews a guest (an English speaker) in English about a particular news item. The interview is then interpreted in Arabic immediately by the host.

In this podcast, Sam and Doug are talking about the role of English as a global language.

The 21st of February is UN International Mother Language Day, a day which promotes linguistic diversity and multilingualism. Being multilingual means that you are able to speak different languages.

BBC Arabic (Learning English) has a dedicated bilingual radio programme aimed at teaching English to native Arab speakers. As an Arabic learner yourself, you may benefit hugely from listening to this interactive programme where the host (an Arabic speaker) interviews a guest (an English speaker) in English about a particular news item. The interview is then interpreted in Arabic immediately by the host.

This is the latest BBC bilingual radio programme for learning English. It is hosted by Mr. Louay Ismail, the BBC producer who came to interview us here at CASAW, University of Edinburghlast Tuesday 4th Mar. 2008

A is for Allah is the name of a Muslim-themed double album for children byYusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens) released on July 11, 2000 through Resurgence UK Records.The musician used the song as a vehicle to teach his daughter, Hasanah, the 28-letter Arabic alphabet. This kind of Islamic music is also known as nasheed.The album had been in the works since 1994, although the title track dates back to 1980, when it was written after the birth of his first child. (Wikiped

BBC Arabic (Learning English) has a dedicated bilingual radio programme aimed at teaching English to native Arab speakers.

As an Arabic learner yourself, you may benefit hugely from listening to this interactive programme where the host (an Arabic speaker) interviews a guest (an English speaker) in English about a particular news item. The interview is then interpreted in Arabic immediately by the host.

Read the following article before listening to the podcast:

Today Kaz and Louay talk about controlling your anger.

A new study says that controlling your anger helps the body repair itself. It speeds up the healing process.

100 participants were given blisters on their arms and asked to fill in a questionnaire on how well they controlled their temper. Then scientists studied the speed of recovery.

BBC Arabic (Learning English) has a dedicated bilingual radio programme aimed at teaching English to native Arab speakers.

As an Arabic learner yourself, you may benefit hugely from listening to this interactive programme where the host (an Arabic speaker) interviews a guest (an English speaker) in English about a particular news item. The interview is then interpreted in Arabic immediately by the host.

Read the following article before listening to the podcast:

رواتب ربات البيوت – BBC Arabic – Learning English

Today Louay and Cath talk about housewives. According to a new survey in the UK, housewives would be paid more than the average worker, if they received the going rate for their household chores.
The average annual salary in the UK is £23,700.
An average mum apparently works for nearly nine hours a day, every day, which would mean that housewives could earn almost £30,000 a year.
4,000 housewives were involved in the survey and most of them agreed that successfully running the family home was a full-time job.
The way they worked this out was by comparing the various chores with actual jobs. So for child care they would look at what a nanny would earn; cleaning and tidying would be compared to what a cleaner would get. Other jobs in the calculation included being an accountant and a taxi driver.

The Calgary Sun newspaper in Alberta, Canada, chose Monday to publish no bad news and made the story of a found dog its front page banner piece.

The tabloid said it was filling the paper with “good news” on a gamble “the news gods would cooperate with us and not deal us any world catastrophes or local tragedies that would elbow for space on Page 1.”

حي على الفلاح

الله اكبر

لا اله الا الله

Watch this video clip of the Adhan from Makkah (this is one of the most-known Adhan among Muslims in the Muslim world)

Adhan from Tureky

__
This video clip shows the transliteration and meaning of the Adhan

__

Amzing facts about the Adhan

Wherever there are Muslims around the world, the Adhan is recited 5 times a day in the following times :

ِdawn الفجر

noon, الظهر

mid-afternoon, العصر

sunset, المغرب

night العشاء

So, if you happen to travel to the Arab world, you will defenitely hear the Adhan throughout the day.

One of the amazing facts that has been establised is that there is not even a single moment when hundreds of thousands of Muazzins (callers to prayer) around the world are not calling the Adhan on the surface of this earth. Even as you read this material right now, you can be sure there are at least thousands of people who are hearing and reciting the Adhan! Read more

This video illustrates the continuity of the Adhan around the earth

Poster of the Adhan & Iqama transcript

The Adhan at the Dawn prayer is slightly different from the other Adhan.

What line is added to the Adhan at dawn time? (Look at the red arrow above)

What happens when the Adhan is announced?

What do you understand from this TV advert?

Screenshot of an electronic Adhan software

The software allows you to hear automatic Athan at the right time five times a day. The most popular religious software according to download.com

Many Muslims (Arabs and non-Arabs) who live outside the Muslim world rely on electronic tools to remind them of the exact prayer times.

Minarets (manara (lighthouse) منارة, but more usually مئذنة) are distinctive architectural features of Islamic mosques. Minarets are generally tall spires with onion-shaped crowns, usually either free standing or much taller than any surrounding support structure.

As well as providing a visual cue demarcating a Muslim community center and territory, the call to prayer is traditionally given from the top of the minaret.

In some of the oldest mosques, such as the Great Mosque of Damascus, minarets originally served as watchtowers illuminated by torches (hence the derivation of the word from the Arabic nur, meaning “light”).

In more recent times, the main function of the minaret was to provide a vantage point from which the muezzin can call out the adhan, calling the faithful to prayer.

In most modern Mosques, the adhan is called not in the minaret, but in the musallah, or prayer hall, via a microphone and speaker system.

In a practical sense, these are also used for natural air conditioning.

As the sun heats the dome, air is drawn in through open windows and up and out of the shaft, thereby causing a natural ventilation.

Minarets have been described as the “gate from heaven and earth”, and as the Arabic language letter alif (which is a straight vertical line).

The world’s tallest minaret (at 210 meters) is located at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco.

The world’s tallest brick minaret is Qutub Minar located in Delhi, India.

There are two 230 meter tall minarets under construction in Tehran, Iran.

Although this online Radio station is designed for a native-Arabic audience and Advanced Arabic Learners, there is a lot of useful and basic vocabulary and expressions you may be able to pick up, especially when they broadcast bilingual Arabic-English programmes. (e.g. Song Lines)

Song Lines is an Interactive Radio programme in Arabic where English Music is used as a teaching tool to teach English to Arabic speakers.

In Song Lines you can learn useful Arabic phrases with the stars of rock and pop music.

There is a nice collection of short audio clips with explanations in Arabic of the songs’ titles.

You may also request from BBC Xtra to broadcast your favourite song and expalain it in Arabic

Go to Song Lines page تعّلم الإنجليزية من خلال الأغانى (i.e. Learn English through Music)
Also, when they have English-speaking guests, the Radio host always makes sure to interpret in Arabic what the guest is saying.

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to Morocco.

Today’s Survival Phrase is شكرا, the most common way to say thank you in Arabic. To learn more about Moroccan culture and phrases be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com before you set out on your trip!

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you!

Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to the Middle East or North Africa.

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to the North Africa.

Hello and السلام عليكم (Peace be Upon You). Today will be learning basic greetings in Arabic. For more information on Arabic language and culture, be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com before you set out on your trip!

Lesson #5 – Parting greetings (Goodbye)

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to the Middle East or North Africa.

Previously we covered basic greetings in Arabic, and today we’ll learn how to say goodbye. Be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com before you set out on your trip, and be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com and leave us a post!

Lesson #6 – Where is the Bathroom?

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to the Morocco.

Today we will be learning how to ask “Where is the bathroom?” in Arabic! Be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com before you set out on your trip to Morocco, and be sure to leave us a post!

Lesson #7 – I Don’t Understand.

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to Morocco.

Today we learn how to say “I don’t understand.”, a phrase that will certainly prove useful if you are a tourist in an Arabic speaking country. Be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com before you set out on your trip to the Arab world, and be sure to leave us a post!

Lesson #8 – Can You Speak English?

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to the Middle East or North Africa.

Today we learn how to ask “Can you speak English?”, a question that will certainly prove useful traveling through North Africa or the Middle East. Be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com before you set out on your trip, and be sure to leave us a post!

Lesson #9 – Can You Say It Again?

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to Morocco.

Today we provide you with a linguistic tool to help take your Arabic language skills to the next level. Today we will be learning how to ask the speaking party to “say it again”. Be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com and leave us a post!

Lesson #10 – Apologies(I’m Sorry)

Learn Arabic travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Arabic can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling, visiting, or sightseeing, survivalphrases.com has all the essential travel phrases just for you! Today we cover a high frequency Arabic phrase sure to be of use on your trip, travels or vacation to the Middle East or North Africa.

As you are traveling and speaking a foreign language, you may need to ask forgiveness or apologise for something. For this reason and many more, today we’re learning apologizing in Arabic. Be sure to stop by SurvivalPhrases.com and leave us a post!